What You Need to Know

August 29, 2014

The Thursday Takeaway
On July 22nd, the Giants called upon 29-year-old swingman Yusmeiro Petit for an emergency start against the Phillies after they had placed Matt Cain on the 15-day disabled list. The Giants went on to win the game in 14 innings, but there was nothing special about Petit’s start; he lasted five innings, gave up seven hits and five runs, walked two and struck out five.

As it turns out, the final out Petit recorded in that start was just the first of 38 consecutive batters he retired entering Thursday. Petit’s streak spanned six relief appearances after that start, including a perfect 4 1/3–inning outing that was required after the Nationals shelled starter Tim Lincecum for six runs in 2 2/3 frames. That start was the tipping point for the Giants, who banished Lincecum to the bullpen and penciled Petit’s name into the lineup for Thursday’s start against the Rockies.

Petit sent the Rockies down in order in the first inning. He got Nolan Arenadoto fly out to center to start the second, which broke the National League record of 41 consecutive batters retired set by former Giants pitcher Jim Barr in 1972 (a mark he shares with Bobby Jenks, who also reached 41 in 2007). The final bar for Petit to clear was Mark Buehrle’s major-league record of 45, which the veteran southpaw reached in 2009 when he followed up his perfect game on July 23 by sending down the first 17 batters he faced in his next start (the first out of that streak was recorded in the outing before the perfect game).

Sure enough, Petit had little trouble with Colorado’s lineup the first time through. He retired three of the first eight batters he faced through the air and struck out the other five. Petit’s fifth strikeout victim, Charlie Culberson, was the record-setting 46th consecutive out:

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The analysis in this post is confusing too. Or wrong. Ayabar had a clear path to first base in the running lane. He made a sharp left turn 5' away from Dandon Motero and turned into fair territory to run into them. If fielders can't field the ball in fair territory without runners running out of the lane into fair territory...